This invention relates to adjustable bar clamps and bench vises, and more specifically adjustable bar clamps and vices that can be used for clamping and spreading workpieces without the need for physically changing or rearranging of parts.
This invention relates generally to adjustable bar clamps used to quickly and easily clamp two articles together, for example, for gluing, or to hold a workpiece for some other operation, and more specifically, to a bar clamp or bench clamp capable of clamping and spreading workpieces with substantial and equal force and without disassembly, detachments and rearrangement being made to the device.
Pipe or bar clamps of various configurations are well known, such as traditional wood gluing clamps, as used by woodworkers. These known clamps are often effective only when used for the specific purpose that they were made, however there are a few clamps that can be used for both clamping and spreading. There are many needs for a spreader, one such use is to dismantle doweled chair legs, where it is desirable to remove all dowels that need gluing, some of which may be slightly loose when the chair is sat on, but are not easily pulled apart by hand and using a hammer is not appropriate and will often causes damage to the parts.
Known clamps that are capable of both clamping and spreading require alterations, which normally involve the attachment and reattachment of the fixed jaw from one end of the bar to the other end, and where this jaw is rotated 180 degrees before attachment so that the clamp pad is facing either in for clamping, or facing out spreading.
Inventor is aware of PCT Application PCT/EP98/03915 xe2x80x9cClamping Tool, Especially A Clamping Clip, Clamping Rod Or Clamping Benchxe2x80x9d, filed by Wolfcraft GMBH. The invention relates to a clamping tool with a clamping area between a first mobile clamping jaw and a fixed second clamping jaw, which rests on a housing. A pivoting handle is displaced causing the pull rod to displace progressively in such a way that the first mobile clamping jaw is moved towards the second fixed clamping jaw. The clamping tool also has a backpressure lock and a release lever for releasing the backpressure lock. Both the pivoting handle and the release lever are located on the housing, on the side of the grip facing away from the clamping area and the mobile clamping jaw can be moved back (moved OR xe2x80x9cdisplacedxe2x80x9d only), and no mechanism for spreading and holding bar or rod once displaced back by operating the release lever. If spreading is desired, the fixed jaw must be detached by removing a bolt, then replacing and bolting the fixed jaw in a 180 degree rotated position on the opposite end of the bar or xe2x80x9cpull rodxe2x80x9d.
Inventor is also, aware of U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,168 Bar Clamp For Single-Hand Operation, issued to Drake, Dec. 29, 1998 A bar clamp for single hand operation; includes a housing, a fixed jaw and a movable jaw mounted on one end of a slide bar for movement in a direction toward the fixed jaw. A spring-loaded driving key is secured on the slide bar and through operation of a trigger handle engages the slide bar for advancing the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw. A locking key is biased against the slide bar and normally engaged with the slide bar to prevent motion of the second jaw away from the first jaw and actuatable to disengage from the slide bar to allow advancement of the second jaw away from the first jaw. The trigger handle has one end pivotably mounted within the housing and formed with two lateral mounting plates of arched outer configuration. The housing is comprised of a first housing portion and a second housing portion, with at least the driving key and the locking key being accommodated within the housing. No means for spreading are designed into this clamp.
Inventor is also aware of U.S. Pat. No 4,722,999 and continuation-in-part U.S. Pat. No 5,009,134 both issued to Sorenson et al. This clamp has a movable jaw, which is easily movable over a bar to clamp against a workpiece, and is operable with one hand. The movable jaw is connected to one end of a movable slide bar and a stationary jaw is supported on the slide bar by a support structure including a trigger handle grip which releasably engages the slide bar and advances the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw. A new PCT patent application PCT/US99/04961 has been applied by owner American Tool Companies Inc. to improve this clamp for spreading and other enhancements, which includes a quick change fixed jaw, where the fixed jaw is detachable by sliding a locking mechanism, then replacing the fixed jaw in a 180 degree rotated position on the opposite end of the bar and then relocking into position for spreading.
An adjustable clamping and spreading bar clamp or bench vice includes a fixed jaw and a movable jaw opposing the fixed jaw, where the fixed jaw and the movable jaw each include two jaw pads facing in opposite directions. The movable jaw connects at one end to a slide bar, which is movable to bring the movable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw, the movable jaw includes means to releasably engages the slide bar and advances the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw or moves the movable jaw away from the fixed jaw for spreading or jacking. A two-way drive means is operational by a trigger handle grip. Also included is a pair of mechanical detent switches, which are rotated approximately xc2xc revolution, to either change the direction of the movable jaw, or release the clamp after either clamping or spreading.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable bar clamp and spreader wherein in one embodiment the moving jaw may be moved over short and long distances in either direction for positioning and then either clamping or spreading.
It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable bar clamp which in one embodiment may be used with equal force in either direction for both clamping and spreading, and without detaching and then reattaching parts.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a mechanism that can be used on a vice or for use on a clamping bench, where the clamping jaws are mounted on two parallel members or bars, and perpendicular to these parallel bars, are clamping boards or jaws that are guided in the substantially parallel direction relative to each other and where as the clamping mechanism and thus the clamping boards or jaws may be actuated by either a hand powered lever or a foot powered pedal.